Faults:

Head gasket leaked ($2 replacement)

Front shock absorbers leaked (have yet to be replaced)

Sliding door latches broke.

Seat paddings worn down over time. Had the seats replaced by local upholstery shop. Good as new.

General Comments:

The Daihatsu Hijet has been in production since the 60's and has been one of the most successful Kei-trucks in Japanese history. It is still in production up to this day and has a strong following in the commercial "Kei-class" car/truck category. The van is a true workhorse. It's a basic van/truck and that's what you get. No frills, no fancy paint, no bells & whistles. Just a good, reliable and dependable work truck to haul stuff from point A to B. Daihatsu has been at it for over 50 years now and the Hijet is now on its 10th generation. With a track record like that I would think Daihatsu knows a thing or two about making good quality trucks for the masses.

Faults:

Electrics went within 3 months from new. Towed to Main dealer who fixed it under warranty - later all Hi-jets recalled to fix this problem.

Month after 3 year warranty ended, battery failed.

4 years from new (36,000 miles), big end bearing failed. Not with a cut groove on the inside, but just flaked away. Mechanic said he had only seen it once before on a van with 140,000+ miles on.

Head Gasket blew shortly after big end bearing fixed. Radiator vanes replaced as well.

Sliding door bearing disintegrated.

Sliding door handle shattered into small fragments when opening in the cold.

Front window rack broke.

Rear brake cylinders failed, very exoensive to replace, even the garage couldn't beleive the price for parts.

6 years on the paintwork is flaking off on the front and roof.

7 1/2 years from new (76,000 miles), 3 weeks after sailing through MOT and service... engine failed completely, need replacing at a cost of £1100. Car will now be scrapped.

General Comments:

From all the faults with it you would think the car was mistreated, however this is far from the case. Most driving was around town (to-from work)and a little on the motorway (once a quarter). Car was maintained by a local garage.

Visibility from the cab is fantastic.

Very light steering.

Loads of space inside, the wife thinks its Dr Who's Tardis.

Very cheap to run unless it develops a fault and then it can be expensive for parts.

Very easy to park, with a very small turning circle.

Plenty of space in and around the seats.

Faults:

Paint on roof flaking off in patches, down to bare metal in places. I'm told the colour, silver, might be to blame, though I can't see why...

After 5 years, several sections of rubber seal are splitting.

Petrol tank replaced under Recall.

General Comments:

Can't praise this micro-van too highly for it's versatility. We use it for just about everything, journeys to France to stock up with "van blanc", overnight camping with it's 6'x4' sleeping area (luggage moved into front seats), picnics sitting on it's rear platform under the rear door "canopy", trips to the tip, furniture moving for friends, the list goes on.

This versatility, combined with remarkably nimble performance both in top speed and acceleration, very good economy, and a size that lets you nip through gaps and duck under car park barriers, makes you whistle as you drive and forgive it's thinly-padded seats and lightweight build. Concentrate while you drive, however, as in an impact your shins will hit first...

And now they've got an LPG Duel-fuel version that escapes the Congestion Charge, why aren't the roads full of them?